United Nations Disarmament Commission

In 1952, the General Assembly, by its resolution 502 (VI) of January
1952, created the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) under the
Security Council with a general mandate on disarmament questions.
However, it met only occasionally after 1959.

In 1978, the first
special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament established a
successor Disarmament Commission (UNDC) as a subsidiary
organ of the Assembly, composed of all Member States of the United
Nations. It was created as a deliberative body, with the function of
considering and making recommendations on various issues in the field
of disarmament and of following up on the relevant decisions and
recommendations of the special session. It reports annually to the
General Assembly.

In the light of its function, the UNDC focuses on a limited
number of agenda items at each session. In 1989, to allow for in-depth
consideration, it decided that its substantive agenda should be limited
to a maximum of four items. From 1993, it has, in practice, dealt with
two or three items, each of which has usually been considered for three
consecutive years. In 1998, by its decision 52/492, the General Assembly decided that the UNDC's agenda, as of
2000, would normally comprise two substantive items per year from the whole range of disarmament issues, including one on nuclear disarmament.

The UNDC, which meets for three weeks in the spring, operates
in plenary meetings and working groups, the number of working groups
depending on the number of substantive items on its agenda. The five
geographical groups take turns assuming the chairmanship of the UNDC,
while the chairmen of the working groups are selected in accordance

Over the years, the UNDC has formulated consensus principles,
guidelines and recommendations (see below) on a
number of subjects, which have been endorsed by the General Assembly.
However, in the past decade, it has not been able to agree on a substantial outcome.

The UNDC is serviced substantively by the Office for
Disarmament Affairs and technically by the Department of General
Assembly Affairs and Conference Services.

A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.5
Proposals of the Non-Aligned Group concerning chapter V of the Chairman's working paper, "Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament"
Working paper submitted by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement

A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.4
Proposals of the Non-Aligned Group concerning chapter IV of the Chairman's working papers, "Ways and means toachieve nuclear disarmament"
Working paper submitted by Indonesia on behalf of the States Members of the Non-Aligned Movement

Proposal of the five Central Asian States (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) on paragraph 8 of annex II to the Chairman's working paper, "Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament"
Working paper submitted by Uzbekistan

A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.2
European Union proposal for chapter V of the Chairman's working paper, "Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament"
Working paper submitted by Greece on behalf of the European Union

A/CN.10/2003/WG.II/WP.2
Practical confidence-building measures in the field of conventional arms
Working paper submitted by Greece on behalf of the European Union

The bronze sculpture "Let Us Beat Our Swords into Ploughshares," was created by Soviet artist Evgeny Vuchetich, and presented to the United Nations on 4 December 1959 by the Government of the USSR. It is located in the North Garden of the United Nations Headquarters.
Credit: UN Photo/Andrea Brizzi

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